Sick of Shadows — Marion Chesney

A DEADLY FIRST SEASON

Captain Harry Cathcart and Lady Rose Summer have entered into an engagement of convenience -- convenient for Rose, who wants to avoid being sent to India with all the other failed debutantes. Despite her considerable good looks, Rose's sharp intellect and radical ideas have served to repel her would be suitors. Rose's parents, unaware of the deception, are hardly thrilled that their only child is marrying a man in trade, but Harry comes from a good family, and at the very least, they hope he will keep their troublesome daughter out of mischief.

Unfortunately, even a pretend engagement cannot save Rose from trouble. Bored with endless parties, teas, and balls, she befriends Miss Dolly Tremaine, a beautiful young girl newly arrived from the country and overwhelmed by the demands of the Season. Rose couldn't be more delighted to have a protégée in her very first Season, because is desperate to do something more useful than attend endless balls and parties. And the country-bred Dolly was totally at sea -- and needed all the help Rose could give. But when Rose rushes to prevent Dolly from making a disastrous mistake, she discovers her stabbed to death and floating in a boat on the Serpentine River. And it isn't long before Rose barely survives an attempt on her own life.

Harry is summoned immediately to help solve the mystery of Dolly's death, and to keep Rose from being the murderer's next victim. Now, Rose and Harry's race to uncover the secrets of Dolly's life is stirring up a hornet's nest of deceptions and devilish schemes from London's most exclusive townhouses to the seemingly-peaceful Yorkshire coast. And a cunning murderer is only a breath away from burying the truth -- and the persistent Lady Rose -- with one devastating stroke...